Federal Agency Offers $15 Million to Support Aging in Place

By Tim Mullaney | January 24, 2016

In yet another move signaling the federal government’s intention to increase home health services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is making $15 million available to test a new model to help seniors age in place.

Under the Supportive Services Demonstration for Elderly Households in HUD-Assisted Multifamily Housing, the agency will offer three-year grants to eligible owners of HUD-supported senior housing developments. The funding will go toward a full-time Enhanced Service Coordinator and a part-time Wellness Nurse. A “nominal amount” may go toward services expenses for aging residents.

HUD expects to make about 80 awards, according to the description of the grant opportunity posted late last week to Grants.gov.

Among the demonstration’s goals are to reduce early transitions to institutional care and preventing hospitalizations and similar events. It will be evaluated to determine whether the additional services increase the number of people who can age in place in HUD senior housing developments.

Eligible applicants include HUD-assisted multifamily properties, such as those receiving funding under section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959, with at least 50 assisted housing units. That can be a combined count in a campus setting.

Priority will be given to those organizations that can utilize the Service Coordinator to tap into the resources needed for aging in place, and participate in a HUD-led effort to develop standard procedures to be used by all sponsors/owners in the program for measuring results. Another priority will be enrolling eligible applicants into a random assignment study.